The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

6. The fear of the creature hath abundance of evil in ⟨p. 90⟩it, in that it brings most desperate fears; if you give way to the fear of any creature, to fear any danger and so to avoid it in a sinful way, you bring your selves by this means to most desperate fears: As it was the desperate condition of Francis Spira when he was afraid of those that had power over him and so denied Christ against his conscience, Oh the dreadful horrors of conscience that he was sunk into; and so it is usual, for men that will balk the ways of God against conscience, when their consciences are enlightened, their hearts are Burdened with such fears, as they cannot stand under them, other manner of fears then the fear of man, in Jer, 1.17. God says unto Jeremiah be not dismayed at their faces least I confound thee before them: it is the same word that is translated before, dismayed; do not fear least I fear thee; be not dismayed least I dismay thee, and to reconcile both translations the meaning may be, do not fear least I so fear thee as to confound thee with fear so that you see this note is clear. By fearing the creature, fearing danger, we come to plunge our selves into the most desperate fears of all: And let this be a warning from God to us all, be not dismayed and afraid in any way of God, least God fear you in another manner, take heed you be not terrified least God terrify you, many dreadful examples we have how many upon their sick beds, and death beds, have had dreadful fears, that they have done things against conscience out of fear.

6. The fear of the creature hath abundance of evil in ⟨p. 90⟩it, in that it brings most desperate fears; if you give way to the fear of any creature, to fear any danger and so to avoid it in a sinful way, you bring your selves by this means to most desperate fears: As it was the desperate condition of Francis Spira when he was affraid of those that had power over him and so denyed Christ against his conscience, Oh the dreadful horrors of conscience that he was sunke into; and so it is usual, for men that wil balke the waies of God against conscience, when their consciences are enlightned, their hearts are Burdened with such fears, as they cannot stand under them, other manner of fears then the fear of man, in Jer, 1.17. God says unto Jeremiah be not dismayed at their faces least I confound thee before them: it is the same word that is translated before, dismayed; do not fear least I fear thee; be not dismayed least I dismay thee, and to reconcile both translations the meaning may be, do not fear least I so fear thee as to confound thee with fear so that you see this note is clear. By fearing the creature, fearing danger, we come to plunge our selves into the most desperate fears of al: And let this be a warning from God to us all, be not dismayed and affraid in any way of God, least God fear you in another manner, take heed you be not terrifyed least God terrifie you, many dreadful examples we have how many upon their sick beds, and death beds, have had dreadful fears, that they have done things against conscience out of fear.